Nevada's NIAA format changes impacts Bishop Gorman football's national scheduling ability

According to a report by Alex Wright of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) passed a new rule on Thursday that would severely impact Bishop Gorman‘s ability to schedule national opponents moving forward.

The NIAA voted 10-0 to move forward with a new realignment/playoff structure for 5A/4A Southern football teams, which the report stated brings into the equation the beginning of a new 10-team Open Division comprised of south teams in the state. Wright’s report added that the new structure moves on from the HRM points rating system used this past season for 5A/4A southern region teams, which only lasted just one season.

With the newly passed format, Bishop Gorman will be regulated to playing nine in-state league contests and left with potentially the chance of one non-league game.

The new structure that was voted and passed on Thursday would start for the 2026 high school football season. The question now for Bishop Gorman is what will they do regarding trying to play a national high school football schedule? According to Bishop Gorman athletic director Grant Rice at Wednesday’s meeting, the Gaels are not opting to become an independent.

“Bishop Gorman is a member of the NIAA in good standing. We always have been, and that will not change,” Rice said via the report. “We don’t plan on going independent. If you create a 10-team league, we will play in it and our one out-of-state game. This will not force us out.”

The Gaels, the No. 7 ranked team in the latest Rivals’ National High School Football Composite Rankings, played a national schedule this past 2025 regular season that featured five opponents outside of the state of Nevada. Bishop Gorman played No. 6 Mater Dei, No. 17 Santa Margarita Catholic, Lone Peak (UT), Kahuku (HI) and East St. Louis (Ill.).

In the seven games Bishop Gorman has played against Nevada-based opponents, the Gaels have out-scored them by a combined 311-6.

Bishop Gorman is set to take on Arbor View next week for the NIAA’s Open Division state championship on Nov. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

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